Around 2AM
by soloscribe
Summary: Gibbs makes it home in the middle of the night and is about to go to bed when he hears something that sets off his famous Gibbs-gut. Some Kibbs in this, one shot.  Reviews are always appreciated.


It was somewhere around two AM when Gibbs finally pulled into his driveway, relieved to be home. He could get a solid four hours of sleep before he needed to be in the office. That and a couple of cups of coffee would get him through the day. When he reached the door and found it locked, he paused, fished out his keys and tried to be thankful that Kate cared enough about his safety to lock the doors behind her. She'd insisted she would check his mail while he was away, even if he tried to remind her that it wasn't necessary. A day and a half wasn't that big of a deal.

"_I'm checking your mail, checking up on your house, and you can say thanks with dinner this weekend," she replied with a wink in the privacy of the elevator._

"_I hope your idea of dinner is cowboy style steaks," he tossed back._

_She gave him that coy smile, the one that let him know he was in deep with her. "I wouldn't expect any less." Before the door opened onto the bullpen, she caught his upper arm. "Be careful?"_

"_As careful as I can," he promised, same as always. "I gotta watch out for Fornell on this one."_

Kate hadn't liked that he was going out of state for a few days, and she really hadn't liked that Fornell was the reason. It couldn't be helped—this one fell under FBI jurisdiction, too. They had to huff and puff to put up a good show in the office, but outside of his team and Franks, there was no one else he would trust to go with him.

Everything had wrapped up easier than he had expected, and faster, too. Yes, it was a bit messy, but the biggest mess would be the paperwork and the lab work for Abby. But they had their guy and plenty of evidence to make the charges stick.

As he let himself into the house and nudged the door shut behind him, he set his go bag in the entry. He would repack it in the morning, with fresh clothes. Despite his desire to fall into bed a few minutes before, he felt surprisingly awake now and debated whether he should go on to bed for only four hours or so of sleep or if he should just pull an all-nighter.

His eyes locked on the fridge, and he figured that one way or another, a drink couldn't hurt. Stepping on into the kitchen, he pulled out a beer, smiling a little at the six pack waiting for him with a note. Gibbs twisted off the cap and took a long drag before reading the note.

_I know you'll want one after a few days with the Feds. Save one or two for the weekend. See you soon, K._

He tossed it on the counter and leaned back taking another long drag when he heard the soft shuffling noise. Setting the bottle down quietly, his hand went to his side pulling his gun free as he stepped closer toward the door to the basement. Slowly, he breathed and strained for the sound again.

It came again, and he reached with one hand, silently turning the knob. He flung the door open a half second later, weapon drawn. The loud crack pierced the air, and Gibbs barely had time to jerk back into the kitchen. "What the _hell_?" he shouted, heart thudding in his chest, trying to decide if he was brave enough to glance back in there again. His gaze fell to the bullet lodged in the door frame mere inches away.

"G-gibbs?"

He ducked low this time, slowly peering around the frame and into the basement at the person standing below.

Kate was ashen, her hand shaking as she cleared the chamber and set her Sig on his work table. "Oh my God…"

He cleared the chamber in his gun, holstering it as he took the stairs in twos and rushed over to her. His hand cupped her elbow, leading her to sit on a crate nearby. "Kate?"

She blinked up at him, flinching slightly. "I'm sorry… God, I don't know… I thought you were… I don't know. You weren't supposed to be home for another day," she protested weakly. One hand scrubbed at her face, and she shook herself slightly.

"I heard a noise in the basement, and you're lucky I didn't fire the first shot." He knew he wouldn't have missed, and it was unnerving to him that he probably wouldn't have been aiming for an arm or leg.

She nodded toward the broom lying forgotten against the skeleton of a hull. "I was sweeping. Burglars don't usually clean up after themselves." Kate pushed back long locks of hair and took a slow breath, finally starting to settle a little.

He slid an arm around her and pulled her against his side. "Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here?"

Kate shrugged and tried to act nonchalant. "I checked your mail and left a surprise for you in the fridge, and by the time I did all of that, it was late… I don't know, it was easier to be here than at my place. I didn't think you'd mind." She offered up a wavering smile. "I didn't think you'd make in tonight, either."

"I did," he stated unnecessarily.

"Um… So I guess next time I'll call and tell you I came over."

"Might be safer for both of us," he agreed, dropping a kiss in her hair. He took her hands in his and pulled her to her feet. "C'mon."

She let herself be led, and he smiled to see that she was in her favorite sweats and sleeping t-shirt. Her hair was tousled, and she had the imprint on her cheek from the overstuffed chair he kept in the corner. Kate might have been sweeping when he came in, but she had crashed for a while down here. He liked the idea.

"Gibbs?"

"Yeah, Katie?" he murmured as they reached the top of the basement steps.

Her eyes went wide, and she reached up to brush against the bullet. "God… I almost… I…"

"Hey," he jostled her gently, only enough to get her attention because he sure didn't want to have to sit there and hold back her hair if she got sick, and the sight of the bullet was making her look a little green. "You didn't. Okay? I'm fine, you're fine."

She nodded, then finally tore her eyes from the sight to meet crystal blue. "I'm fine… pretty tired, actually."

Gibbs smile wryly. "I kinda figured. To bed." He pressed a kiss into her hair for the second time that night and they walked side by side up to the bedroom. It took only a moment for him to store their guns on the nightstand, and then a few more while he stripped to his shirt and boxers, stopping only to brush his teeth before sliding into bed.

She was limp, the adrenalin quickly wearing off when he pulled her close to him. His hand stroked her arm in comfort. "Welcome back," came her murmur, her voice heavy with sleep. In the dark, he could almost imagine her eyes bleary drops of amber.

"Missed ya," he rumbled quietly, smiling to himself when she snuggled closer at the admission, her nose nuzzling his shoulder. "Besides, Tobias hogs the blankets." He grunted when her hand slapped at his gut.

"You gotta clean my Sig tomorrow," she burred against his chest.

"Oh?" he breathed.

"Mhmm… Fed hunting. Tobias better learn that I don't share."

He chuckled, catching her hand before she could give him another playful slap. He brought the fingers to his lips, kissing them and lacing them with his. A few moments later, her breath evened out, and he let himself slip into slumber after her.


End file.
